This invention relates to thin film plastic multiple container carrier handling device. The invention more particularly relates to a strip of thin plastic material which is designed to be selectively transformed into such plastic multi-packaging devices capable of effective association with a plurality of can-type carriers.
Container carriers of the type described are widely used in a variety of forms, including devices such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,874,835 and more recently devices shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,331. Efforts have been made to reduce the amount of plastic material utilized in such carrier devices and such examples are shown in scrapless carrier configurations in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,084,792 and 3,044,230. Such a scrapless carrier is generally provided with a plurality of slits longitudinally of the strip which are designed so that the interior can be transversely stretched or reconfigured during the application to can-type containers.
The subject invention represents a unique advance in the art because of the design of a strip which includes band segments particularly designed to be highly stretched longitudinally in a controlled manner.
It is accordingly a primary object of the invention to provide a preform device which can be transformed permanently into a package making strip having apertures which are designed to be associated with containers such as can-type devices.
A further principle object of the invention is to provide a carrier preform which minimizes the material used while maximizing the strength of the carrier and the integrity of the package created thereby.
An advantage of the invention is the ability to produce a can carrier device by highly stretching a preform and reducing the potential of failure of the material when it is stretched from a preform position to a permanently reconfigured carrier strip.
The above objects and advantages are obtained by the preform of the invention which basically includes a strip of plastic material provided with a plurality of relatively small apertures defined by generally continuous bands. The apertures are typically arranged in pairs on either side of the center line and preferably elongated in the direction transverse the center line. The strip is particularly designed to be highly stretched in the direction of the longitudinal center line by providing band segments located and extending in the direction of stretch which include prethinned or prenarrowed regions intermediate their extremities so that upon the application of a high stretching force the band segments reliably stretch and orient without failure or rupture of the bands.
Other objects and features of the invention will be readily apparent upon perusal of the hereinafter following specification and drawings.